The present invention relates generally to welding-type devices and, more particularly, to a housing assembly having a plurality of accessory/outlet covers and a number of protected connection paths therethrough.
Welding-type devices generally have a housing which fully encloses the electrical components of the welding-type device. A plurality of electrical outputs is accessible to an operator through the housing of the welding-type device. Preferably, these outputs include terminal posts and receptacles. The terminal posts provide a power signal that is conditioned by the welding-type device to be used for the welding process. The receptacles are preferably electrical receptacles which supply a power signal which has been conditioned to operate other electrical devices. These other electrical devices can include items such as hand tools and spot lights. The housing preferably needs to provide the operator with easy access to both the terminal posts and the receptacles.
Welding-type devices are also increasingly portable due to improvements in the size and efficiency of internal combustion engines. This portability means that the welding-type device is exposed to increasingly polluted environments. This pollution ranges from dirt and debris to wind and rain. Also problematic to the longevity of a welding-type device is the significant amount of particulate pollution in the general area of the welding device when the device is in use. These pollutants include metal chips and dust generated in preparing work pieces with grinders, hot metal spatter from the welding process, and slag that is chipped from completed welds. All of these pollutants can adversely affect the operability of the welding-type device and the condition of the terminal posts and receptacles. Additionally, welding spatter can damage the terminal posts if welding is performed too close to the welding-type device. Therefore, the housing needs to protect the receptacles and the terminal posts both during operation and during transportation of the welding-type device.
Protection of electrical receptacles is not new to welding-type devices. Prior art protective devices generally consist of a cover that is closed when the electrical receptacle is not used and open when the receptacle is used. As such, these protective devices don't protect the receptacle from debris when the welding-type device is in use. As discussed above, when the welding-type device is in use, the receptacles of the device can be exposed to the highest concentrations of polluting debris as a result of welding related activities. Additionally, these welding-type devices offer no protection to the terminal posts of the welding-type device. The terminal posts generally protrude through the housing and are afforded no protection from welding spatter. As a result, the terminal posts are susceptible to damage from metal spatter associated with metal working processes such as torch cutting and heating, metal grinding, and welding.
The terminal posts of the welding-type device are preferably connected to heavy gauge welding cables. These heavy gauge welding cables transfer the conditioned electrical signal from the welding-type device to the consumable and to a work piece. The cables are preferably connected to the welding-type device by a connector at an end of the cable. These cables can be inadvertently over stressed by an operator during the welding process. As such, the cables require a durable mechanical connection at the terminal post of the welding-type device. The durable connection allows the stresses that are imparted on the cable to transfer through the housing and either into the connection itself or into the electrical components of the welder. These stresses can concentrate at the terminal post connections and can cause mechanical damage to the electrical system of the welding-type device, the terminal post, or the cable connector. As such, it would be desirable to construct the housing of the welding-type device to absorb the stresses that would be imparted on the terminal post connection through the welding cable.
Ease of repair and versatility are also important aspects of any portable welder. Due to the environment that these devices are employed in, remote repairs will be inevitable. In this respect, the housing of the welding-type device should be designed such that it allows for relatively simple replacement of a welding cable in the event the welding cable becomes damaged. Additionally, there may be multiple terminal posts provided to supply different output parameters for the welding process. In this respect, the housing needs to provide an operator with easy access to the terminal post connections so that the welding cables can be quickly changed between terminal connections.
It would therefore be desirable to design a housing for a welding-type device that protects, covers, and isolates the electrical receptacles and the terminal posts of a welding-type device during transportation and use of the device. The housing should also be designed to absorb stresses transferred through the welding cable to the welding-type device at the terminal post connections. The housing should also be designed to provide an operator with a quick and simple means of transferring the welding cables between terminal posts.